Quality of a school is ....

I sit today in a training and the following quote was shared...
"The quality of a school as a learning organization can be measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of it's struggling learners."

What are your thoughts?
Do you agree? Disagree?
Is this where we are now and have been historically?
Does it need to change?

How Do We Know What to Teach

Ever wondered if our kids are learning the right things or how teachers decide what to teach? Well, in ND this is more or less is left up to the individual schools and districts and guided by the state.
Currently teachers are still trying to figure out what standards will be tested in the fall while preparing and planning for the shift to the Common Core in about 18 months.
Many different strategies and theories float around regarding how to tackle this transition.

What are your thoughts on how to tackle it or what things kids need to know in order to be ready to tackle the world outside the school yard?

Why talk learning?

I have created this blog as a place to share ideas about what some our best teachers, administrators, school districts, students and parents are doing to ensure that our kids learn the skills and gain the knowledge base that will prepare them for the expectations and needs in the future.

I am not by no means an expert. My background includes being a para-professional, elementary classroom teacher, special education teacher, elementary principal, and state department of public instruction employee. Currently, I do professional development in central and southern North Dakota. I am also a mom to what will soon be 5 children.

It is my hope to provide information, ask questions and get answers and be a place where we can share, support and learn from each other to improve the teaching and learning process in our schools.

So I begin with a question. Where or how do you keep up on current trends and practices in education?